


with you i am free

by halcyonskies



Series: 100Themes: Dean/Cas [16]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Imprisonment, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-09-29
Packaged: 2018-04-23 23:50:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4896991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halcyonskies/pseuds/halcyonskies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Flock had been small, their warriors few, and it had been easy to overtake them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	with you i am free

**Author's Note:**

> 100Themes Challenge - #13: Freedom

Castiel's home was a cage.

He had been inside of it for most of his life. If he had been born a different Seraph – one with a warrior's calling, perhaps – he might have been able to escape the poachers when they arrived, destroying much of his homeland. But his abilities were peaceful, limited to healing small injuries and helping herbs to grow. Before his previous life had ended, he had been newly apprenticed to the Flock's healer, preparing to take over for her when he came of age.

There were others here, a little like him – creatures of the earth, most of them lovely to look at, each with a strong pull towards the natural parts of the world. Castiel supposed this meant he too was considered physically appealing, though he'd never really thought about it; healers rarely paid any mind to such things, often choosing to live a life of celibacy in order to better serve the people. He'd been content with that.

Now his job was that of a showman, demonstrating his abilities to entertain the humans that wandered through the compound. He had a feeling the majority of them lingered outside his cage to see his doe-brown feathers and the bright glow of his eyes, rather than the tricks he performed upon soil or flesh. It made his skin prickle as if with insects, discomfort heavy in his chest, but he'd learned to live with that.

Never had he considered there was another option for him until the man with the green eyes paused outside his cage. The man was young but his soul was old, and though Castiel had imagined himself beyond empathy after so many years in this place, he still found a seed of pity within him for the other. When he offered a jewelflower through the bars of the cage, he was surprised at how honestly grateful the man seemed when he accepted it.

That gesture of sympathy – one suffering creature to another – would eventually pave the road to Castiel's freedom. Such a thing was made possible only by the determination of the green-eyed man, who confessed his love for Castiel under starlight as they ran for their lives.

For the first time in many years, Castiel's wings were free to stretch wide in the wind, and his heart was fully open to another.


End file.
